Check Yes or No
by AcaciaDawn
Summary: Spencer Reid has always been the tiggy geek, never got the girl. But that may be because he was 12 when he graduated. Alaina Grant was always thought that she could never be loved by anyone other than crazy people, but will her new team mate tell her dif?
1. Chapter 1

Check Yes or No.

Chapter 1-Books, Coffee, and Newbies.

Spencer Reid. Your typical twenty-three year old guy…sort of. Reid (as he is called by his co-workers) had an IQ of 187, and holds three PhDs in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering, and two BA's in Psychology and Sociology. He graduated high school at the age of 12, and is the youngest member of the Behavioral Analyst Unit (BAU) in Quantico, Virginia.

It was October 24th and Reid was revisiting Cal-Tech University, his old college. As he was walking down the Physiology Hall with his nose in a book and a fresh cup of coffee in his hand (_extra _sugar), Reid failed to notice the student, who was trying to balance the giant pile of books in her hands, coming from the other direction. Or, he didn't until he bumped into her, splashing his _hot_ coffee all over her green V-neck t-shirt.

"_OW!_" the girl dropped her books and started pulling at the drenched fabric, "Oh, ow!"

"Jeez, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" Reid immediately dropped his cup and tried unsuccessfully to calm her.

"Ai, sí, no probléma," she hissed. But he was confused, she didn't look Hispanic.

"Excuse me?"

"¿Señor, tú hablo español?" _Spanish!_ His one weakness.

"No, I don't speak Spanish."

"Ok, then. That's actually a good thing, because I was hoping I wouldn't have to start trying to remember my old lessons." The girl chuckled.

"Why would you be speaking Spanish when the person you're talking to is speaking English?"

"Because it's fun to watch people trying to figure out what I'm saying." The exposed skin on her chest had turned bright red.

"Oh, well, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. My skin is gonna be a little pink for a while, but I'll live. I mean, it's not the first time someone has spilled a hot drink on me, and it certainly won't be the last."

"Miss, if someone is harassing you, you should report it to Dean Richards."

"Oh, no. No one is harassing me; I just always seem to be in the way of someone with a really hot drink, or a cold one, depending on where I am. Even if they were, I couldn't report it."

"Why not?"

"Well, first of all, I don't know where the Dean's office is-" Reid cut her off.

"Follow me, I used to go here, and I was always in the Dean's office." He moved to take her hand, but she moved away.

"And _second_, I don't go to this college."

"Then why are you here?"

"I was here to see the famous Dr. Reid at his presentation about sexual homicide, but I missed it. So, I'm on my way back to St. Augustine tonight. It's a shame actually; I was really looking forward to hearing about his case studies and see him in person."

"You came all the way across the country to see some scrawny geek talk about murderous raving lunatics?"

"Yes, I did. He's supposed to have come from Quantico, Virginia. So if Dr. Reid is that dedicated to catching 'murderous raving lunatics', then I'll be damned if I'm any less ready to do the same. Anyway, it was nice meeting you, señor. Bye." She said cheerfully, walking away.

The mysterious girl was gone by the time he had found his tongue again.

"I'm…Dr. Reid…" too late.

"Oh, and by-the-by," she peaked around the corner, "I personally think that your hair would look better if you didn't comb it back with gel like that. If you gust combed it and let it hang…just a suggestion. Adios and toodles." Gone.

"Uhhh?" _Very _strange…

Two years later.

"Reid?"

"Yeah, Morgan?"

"Did you hear about the new agent we've got comin' in?"

"Yeah, some guy named Al Grant."

"How much you wanna bet he's a geeky twig like you?"

"First off, I am _not_ a geeky twig." Morgan held his hands up in mock surrender, "And second, twenty bucks says he's a trigger-happy jarhead."

"You're on, Vegas Boy." They shook on it. Then Prentiss walked up.

"I want in. Twenty says he's a total Neanderthal and the first person he hits on is J.J."

"Bring it," Morgan teased, "But just remember, you're a free bird, J.J's not."

"Agents!" their supervisor, Hotchner called out, "come meet the newest member of the BAU profiling team."

When the team turned to look, what they saw astounded all of them.

Alaina POV

The first thing she had done when she entered the building of the BAU was ask for directions to SSA Aaron Hotchner's office. Alaina had been told to report to Hotch as soon as she arrived.

_Knock, knock._

"Come in." she opened the door to see an agent dressed in a suit and tie sitting behind the desk, "Ah, Agent Grant. Welcome to Quantico. We don't usually admit young agents fresh out of the academy onto our team, but I've heard many good things about you."

"Thank you, Agent Hotchner."

"Just Hotch is fine. I have come to understand you could probably surpass many of the agents on this team.

"Well, sir, I have no wish to show up my superiors, only the people that think little of me."

"Passionate and wise. I admire that, and I've also heard that you have a bit of an attitude with your mentors." A rare smile began to show.

"I don't like being treated like a child, sir; I only talk back when smart-mouthing someone is needed."

"Again, I admire that. That sort of thing is what will most likely get a confession from the criminals. Now, shall we?" he gestured to the door.

"Lead the way."

When they made their way to the bullpen, Hotch called out, "Agents, come meet the newest member of the BAU profiling team."

Alaina evaluated each face, concurring that they were expecting something else.

"Good morning, I'm SSA Alaina Grant." Then she realized they were also looking at her clothes. A grey, loose form-fitting t-shirt in place of a dress shirt of comfort, boot-cut jeans that were comfortable and very sexy, and black boots that gave her sort of a rough country look.

"No offence ma'am, but we thought we were getting a guy." J.J. stuttered.

"Yes, well, one of her nicknames is Al, which is what she asked me to introduce her as. Grant this is Derek Morgan," he motioned to a black guy with giant muscles.

"Nice to meet ya'."

"And you, Agent Morgan."

"Jennifer Jareau, also known as J.J." a woman with blonde hair with, what Alaina realized was a pregnancy bump.

"Hiya."

"Emily Prentiss," a woman with strait black hair.

"Pleasure to finally meet you."

"Penelope Garcia," a plump woman with multi-colored hair and very colorful clothes.

"A new dove to my collection, hello." Alaina stifled a giggle.

"David Rossi," an older gentleman with silver-streaked black hair.

"Miss Grant," he kissed her hand.

"Down boy…" pause for laughter, "and Dr. Spencer Reid…has just disappeared."

"Hey," he said indifferently from behind a stack of paperwork on his desk.

"Reid." Hotch sounded annoyed.

"Yes?"

"It would be nice if you would come out and speak directly at her, instead of hiding."

"No, its ok, he doesn't have to.

"Oh, yes he does." Rossi interceded, "It's the tradition of new agents. The new kid meets everyone and we establish if they are going to be fun pranking."

Morgan tried to pull Reid away from his desk, "Reid, come on, kid. We did it with you."

"Yeah, Spence, play nice with the newbie." J.J. joked.

"Fine, just hold on a sec."

When he came out from behind the papers, Alaina realized something.

"You?"

"You."

"Do you know each other?" Hotch asked.

"We've met. I don't know if you remember, Dr. Reid, but, uh, two years ago. Cal-tech."

"I have an eidetic memory, of course I remember. But I didn't think you would."

"How could I forget? You spilled hot coffee down my shirt." The other agents started laughing.

"Kid, how did you manage to get into that mess?"

"I was reading a very interesting book on classic narcissism, I wasn't paying attention."

"Neither was I, I was busy trying to keep my books from falling."

"Anyway, we glanced off each other. I spilled my coffee and she spilled her books."

"Well then." Prentiss gasped.

"Then I started talking in Spanish, just having a bit of fun with him. I see you also followed my advice about the hair."

"Yeah."

"Okaay…" J.J. interrupted, "this has been fun and all, but we really need to get started with this case."

"Right, Grant-"

"Just Ali is fine."

"Ali, get settled in quickly, then Morgan will show you to the board room."

"Kay."

Prentiss motioned for Morgan and Reid to talk to her before they went into the briefing, "All bets off, considering we all thought she was a guy."

"Yup. Now, can we go? Hotch is gonna want us in there soon." Reid complained.

"You guys go ahead, I'll stay here and show her the way when she gets done."

"Morgan, don't scare the poor girl."

"Scare her? Why would I scare her?" he gave them his devil smile. Prentiss got an exasperated look.

"Just behave."

"Fine."

**This is my first Criminal Minds fanfics, so if you have any info on the characters, it would be greatly appreciated. Did anyone know that Reid's hair got cut really short in like the last season…because I didn't? Anyway, as Alaina said Adios and Toodles.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two- La Bésa del Muerte.

"Ok, so…three fifteen year old girls: Jackie Thompson, Lisa Rodriguez, and Melissa Roberts; have been found missing from there homes within a week of each other. The first two victims have been found in extremely secluded areas of the forests by hikers. Both of these girls had bruising around their wrists and ankles, as well as signs of physical abuse. But the abuse may have come before the kidnappings."

"So, they were bound?" Alaina inquired.

"Yes. Also," J.J. clicked her remote to pull up pictures of other marks, "they both had these marks on their hips." It was an upwards facing star inside a circle.

"A pentagram?" Asked Morgan.

"Yep."

"Cause of death?" Hotch urged.

"Their throats had been cut, and then they were dumped off a trail in the Rocky Mountains."

"Which state did you say this was in?"

"Colorado, right near Pikes Peak."

"Alright, team. Go home, get packed, and be at the air strip in thirty. Someone go with Ali so she can find her way there later. Any volunteers?"

No on answered.

"Alright, then. Since nobody is kind enough to offer their help…Reid!"

Reid jumped at the sound of his name.

"You live a few miles past Alaina's house; you bring her to the plane."

"Yes, sir." He answered, even though he looked as if he were choking.

_Later on the plane._

Alaina sat in the chair across the aisle from Reid and J.J.; she had been going over the case files and listening to music before reading a book.

"Just go over and talk to her already. There's no point in making google eyes at her if you're not even gonna try. Besides, she's all by her lonesome."

"Why would she want _my_ company? I'm just the twiggy brainiac of a geek."

"Well, for a really smart guy, you're kinda useless when it comes to girls."

"J.J., I ca-" but she cut him off.

"Do _not_ say that you can't." _Why is she so stubborn? _Reid asked himself, "All you have to do is sit next to her and talk to her."

"And what would we talk about, pray tell?"

"Ask about her book. Comment on what she's listening to, so a magic trick, _anything._"

"She's right, kid." Morgan sat down on Reid's other side, "You never know what goodies are hidden in an Easter egg."

"I honestly don't see how that is even remotely relevant, Morgan. Easter was first celebrated by Christians as the day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, not as a giant rabbit running around hiding painted eggs filled with candy."

"Even when we're trying to help him, he has to give us a history lesson. Jeez, when we get back, me and Garcia are taking you to a club."

"_Morgan,_" he complained, "you know I don't like going to clubs. I have absolutely no reason to like going to them, not when I could be doing my paperwork."

"Which you have been letting pile up because you won't put down that stupid Chinese cross-word puzzle." J.J. pointed out.

"Fine, I'll go talk to her, but only if you don't make me go to one of those crazy clubs."

"Deal. Now get your skinny butt over there." She pushed him.

Reid went over and sat down next to Alaina.

"Hey," she pulled the earbuds out of her ears.

"Hi…so, what are you reading?"

"'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold."

"That's a rather dark Young Adult fiction book, isn't it?"

"I guess. In a way, Susie Salmon is like our victims. Except we're actually finding these girls."

"Susie was never found?"

"Nope. Her killer, Mr. Harvey, made sure that no one would find her by cutting her up, putting her in an old fridge, and then dumping it in a local sinkhole. He got his just desserts though."

"How?"

"Years after she was murdered, he approached another girl that he wanted. She refused a ride and walked away. Mr. Harvey would have followed her if an icicle hadn't fallen and knocked him down a cliff. He died and they didn't find his body until the snow melted three months later. It's a sad book, very dark, but it has somewhat of a happy ending."

"Interesting."

"Yes, it is." Alaina paused, "I've already read it several times. If you want, you can borrow it."

"Sure, thanks." He took the book that she handed him; it had a light blue cover. "So, you seem to know a bit about the case. What have you found?"

"Well, both of the girls had their throats slit with a very sharp knife. They were also stashed in a cloth of some kind after being washed, and put into clean clothes. All of the victims have red-brown hair, fifteen years old, all about 135 pounds. The first two vics were missing for a week before they died."

"What does that mean?" Rossi jumped in.

"It means that our UnSub is actually holding them for a significant amount of time before killing them. He's doing something to them, and once he's done, they're dead. After that he dresses up, and covers them in a ceremonial white shroud."

"Ceremonial?" Reid asked.

"I'm willing to bet he's Pagan."

"What makes you say that?" Prentiss joined in, too.

"Well, considering that both girls were found with pentagrams branded into their hips, and the fact that he seems to reverie them after they've died, I think it's a safe call. La Bésa del Muerte."

"What's that?"

"The Kiss of Death. In the Wiccan religion, it's believed that certain individuals can use spirits to help work magick. Something tells me he's sacrificing them to the Lady and the Lord."

"That's messed up."

"Indeed. Wiccans are not supposed to harm anyone, as put by our laws."

"Why not?"

"The Rule of Three. We believe that what we give out comes back to us, times three, that's why most of us are white magick users and try to do good. This is just a really twisted way of honoring the Goddess and the God."

"You said 'we', who are you talking about?" Morgan pressed.

"Wiccans." They all just stared at her, so she turned to Hotch. "You didn't tell them, did you?"

"Tell us what?" Prentiss glanced between Alaina and Hotch.

"Ali is Wiccan."

"There are witches in Virginia?" Rossi joked.

"Yes, but I'm a solitary, meaning I work alone. We don't harm animals or humans intentionally. But this guy, he's twisting the Rule of Three beyond anything I've ever seen. However, he probably thinks he's freeing these girls from their cages of flesh."

"That's just flat out weird."

"Yep, no doubt we'll find the third girl within a few days time."

"Ali," Reid's face showed his concern, "There's a very slim chance that we'll be able to get to her in time."

"That's not what I meant, Reid. I meant there's no doubt we'll find her body in a few day time. Poor Melissa Roberts has already been missing for two days, which means she probably won't last much longer."

No one wanted to admit it, but they all knew she was right. When they arrived at the local PD, they would be waiting for that call.

Cheyenne Police Department. December 20th.

"Agent Hotchner, thank you for coming." A stout man greeted them when the finally arrived.

"Thank you for having us. Everyone, this is Officer Darrell, the Chief of Police. Officer Darrell, these are Agents Morgan, Rossi, Jareau, Prentiss, Reid, and Grant."

"How's the investigation coming so far?"

"We still have yet to complete the profile. However, Agent Grant does have an interesting theory about the UnSub."

Darrell stared at Alaina for a moment, considering her face, before his face lit up with recognition.

"Ali? Little Ali Grant?"

"Not so little anymore. It's nice to see you again, sir." She moved forward to give him a hug.

"Aw, let me look at ya'. Jesus, honey. How'd you grow up so fast? The last time I saw you, you were fifteen and just coming back."

"Yeah, time moves quickly when you're trying to figure out what to do with your life."

"And you followed your dream, too. Good for you. A federal agent."

"I take it you know each other?" Hotch raised an eyebrow.

"Know each other? HA! Ali was like a second daughter to me, and Rita's best friend. If you remember…Danny used to have a _huge_ crush on you." He chuckled.

"Yeah, I remember. Are the kiddles still around?"

"Yup, Danny's actually here in the station."

"Oh no. What'd he do this time?" her laughter showed that she was joking.

"Nothin' He works here now."

"Oh, well, that's good." Alaina turned back to her team, "I grew up here in Cheyenne. My parents died when I was twelve, leaving me to take care of my five younger brothers. We were sent away to live in foster homes."

"Ali came back with three of the five when she was fifteen. That was the last time I saw any of them. So, how are Jackson, Billy, and Mark?"

"Umm." She leaned to the chief and whispered something in his ear.

"Oh! Well, that's terri-" Alaina stopped him, shaking her head. "Alright. Well, I have a space ready for you to work; everything you need should be in there." The group followed him into a room with a long oval table and a giant dry-erase board.

"Sir, I'm going to need maps of the town around where the girls lived and the mountains where the girls were found." Reid put his brown satchel on the table.

"Of course, Dr. Reid. I'll get those for you ASAP."

"Thank you."

"Right, well, I'll just leave you to your work. It was good to see you again, Ali."

"You, too, Officer Darrell. I'll come see you about the case later; it'll give us some time to catch up."

"Right. Tea, not coffee?"

"Yes, please."

"Ok, honey. I'll see you later then."

"Bye." And the chief slipped out.

When Alaina turned around, she saw her teammates staring at her with obvious curiosity.

"What?"

"We might ask you the same thing. What was all that about?" asked Morgan.

"Mark Darrell was like an adopted dad to me since before my parents died. I grew up babysitting his kids, and they loved me. So, shall we get to work?"

"Yes. Morgan, you and Prentiss go talk to Jackie Thomson's parents. Rossi and I will talk to Lisa Rodriguez' parents. J.J., you talk to the police and see if there are any witnesses. Reid, you get started a geological profile. Ali, since this seems to be your area of expertise, I need you to find any Pagan rituals that are similar to the one the UnSub seems to be using."

"Yes, sir."

"When you're done, help Reid put together a full profile." They split up.

_Later that day._

"So…does Hotch always stick you with the newbies?" Alaina asked him after going through hundreds of rituals.

"Not really. Mostly it's to keep you out of trouble, and to keep me company. Hotch may seem like a stone heart, but he genually cares about the people on this team."

"Mmm, you seem to know this from experience."

The question had struck a nerve, she could see it be the way he had stopped writing and held the marker with a white-knuckled hand.

"I'm sorry; you don't have to answer that." She tried to get back to her work.

"Yes, I do. You have a right to know what the rest of the team knows, as a precaution," as Reid spoke the last three words, he put the marker down, turned, and started rolling up the sleeve of his right arm, "And I'm not gonna leave you wondering."

Curious, Alaina took hold of his right arm to steady it as she looked. Where the veins stood out against the alabaster curve of his elbow, there were several puncture marks.

"What happened?"

"About a year and a half ago, I was kidnapped by an UnSub with a multiple personality disorder, Tobias Hankle. His other…faces, for want of a better word, were his father, and Raphael."

"The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?" he just looked at her.

"Who? Never mind. No, the archangel. When Tobias was himself, he gave me dilaudid, a drug that he used to escape his own mind. I was beaten and urged to repent for my sins, of which I could only think of one. After a long time, he took me outside to dig my own grave, which is when the team found us. While he was distracted, I was able to get to my gun."

"You killed him?"

"Yes, and I took the dilaudid. But, I've now been clean for almost a year." Reid wore a smile of almost sad contentment.

"How are you still working at the BAU? You should have been dismissed as soon as they found out…unless…They never found out, did they." His smile widened and he nodded.

"You figured that out nicely. My team did, but they kept quiet about it and helped me through rehab."

"Wow, I guess you guys really are like one big happy family." Then it dawned on her, "Hold on…family!"

"Huh?"

Alaina grabbed Reid's phone off the table and found Garcia's number. It rang once before Garcia's voice came out of the speaker.

"Yes, my beauties? Speak to the all knowing goddess of all that needs hacking."

"Hey, Garcia, it's Ali and Reid. I need you to look for any hospital records to see if the any of the girls had been in for some reason. Also, could you look into the names of the doctors who treated them if they were?"

"Are the doctors' names relevant?"

"Maybe."

"Alright, give me fifteen seconds," they heard furious typing on the other end of the line. "Got it. All of the girls had been to the hospital recently, all for abuse injuries. Oh, and get this, all of the girls had the same doctor."

"That's what I thought. Name?"

"Mmm, Jason Pierce. And he has a record."

"Well, that's strange," Reid put in.

"Not really. Just because you're a doctor without a record, doesn't mean they all are. Garcia, what exactly was he charged with?"

"Pulling up pictures…he was charged with vandalizing several properties."

"Ok, could you send us his file, the pictures, and his contact info?"

"Oh, my darling, I am already three steps ahead of you. They should be in your mailbox now."

"Thanks, Garcia," Alaina hung up and moved to her computer, opening her email.

"Do you really think that this guy is the UnSub?"

"I don't _think_ he is, I'm sure of it. I grew up knowing Jason, his family was Wiccan. His mother taught me the woman's way, while his father taught him. Jason and I really only saw one another during celebrations, rituals, and family get-togethers. He was always more violent, so was his younger sister, Amy, who studied with their father."

Hotch walked in with Rossi and J.J.

"What've you got?" the stony faced man inquired.

"_Several _rituals, all having to do with death and spirits. And let me tell you, it was not an easy task, considering that there were several _hundred_ to sort through."

"Well," Rossi pressed, "What else."

This time Reid spoke up, "We also have a suspect."

"Already?" said J.J. with utter surprise, "I don't think we've ever gotten a suspect after only being here for about two hours."

"All of the girls had been to the hospital lately for abuse wounds, and they all had the same doctor. Jason Pierce is an old…childhood friend, and Pagan. He also has a record."

"Good, did you have Garcia look him up?"

"Yep, we have his home and work addresses."

"Great. You and Reid go up to his house, Rossi and I will go to the hospital. Good work, Ali."

"Thank you, sir."

"Oh, and Ali," Hotch stopped her halfway through putting on her coat, "Don't let Reid drive."

"Got it." She laughed.

"Hotch…" Reid whined, "I'm not that bad of a driver."

"You're also not that good of one either. Add that to icy roads that you're not accustomed to, and that's just asking for a wreck. We can't afford to have our best minds in the hospital right now because of reckless driving."

"C'mon, Reid. The longer we wait, the better chance he has of hiding anything that could link him to these girls."

"Right. Going."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three- Unexpected Arrivals and Expected Tears.

In the car, Alaina couldn't help but sneak a few glances at the man in the passenger seat. Reid was going over Jason Pierce's records from his arrest, and when he read, he pretty much went into 'the zone.'

"So do you think that I might be right about this?" Reid jerked out of his daze.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I mean, this guy fits the profile, and he's a doctor, so he would know if the girls were hurt."

"You think this is a mercy killing?"

"Of course I do. What else could it be?"

"A power killing. This ritual…as far as I can tell anyway, it should be reserved for the people who have already been dead for a while. He's killing them to gain power over their spirits, before they can run off and join someone else."

"Someone like you?"

"_Me?_ Why would you say something like that?"

"Well, if I were a spirit…hypothetically speaking, considering your religion, I would want to be connected to someone like you."

"Why, though?"

"Because, you seem to be able to see the world with an almost childlike view, yet, you know the dangers. Anyone with enough sense to be drawn to you in life would be drawn to you after death." For a moment, he actually seemed like he had ditched the know-it-all persona, until, "Hypothetically, of course. A spirit can't actually connect to a living organism, because it's not living. Technically, studies show that ninety-five percent of all persons in the U.S. don't believe that a spirit can hang around after death."

"You know, for a smart guy, you aren't very in tune with _your_ inner being. Outside, you're this crisp, wall-flower who couldn't seem to get a girlfriend to save his life. But inside, I'm sure that you're the most tender, kind-hearted, poetic person that any girl would die to be with." Reid started blushing, but she didn't stop there. "I'm sure your parents would be very proud of you…Spencer."

When he looked at Alaina, the wonder in his beautiful hazel eyes gave the feeling of being warm and fuzzy all over…**cooky aint it ;)**

Reid was about to say something when she interrupted him, "There's Jason's house; it looks like someone's home. Time to pay a house call."

"Actually, doctors stopped doing house calls in the late twentieth century, they didn't-" Alaina stopped him with a glare.

"It was a joke, Einstein. I was referring to the fact that he's a doctor who's probably been kidnapping girls from their homes. That and you're a doctor, genius."

"Oh…" An awkward silence settled between them for a moment.

"Just forget it. Come on, you useless brainiac," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

But unlike the face that had made her oh-so comfy, the one Reid wore now made her feel like she should be banging her head on an anvil…

"Let's get this over with." And they went to his door.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

Jason opened the door, "Can I help you?"

"Jason Pierce?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"My name is Agent Alaina Grant, this is Dr. Spencer Reid. We're with the FBI."

"FBI? Hold on…Ali?"

"Hey, Jason."

"Jeez, it's been so long. I haven't seen you in, what, nine years."

"Time hasn't seemed to have changed you that much."

"Yeah, I stopped growing at eighteen. But, damn, you look good."

"Thanks. Would it be alright if we came in?"

"Sure thing." When they entered thehouse, Alaina and Reid realized that there were signs of other people living in the house.

"Did you get married?" Alaina asked him.

"Yeah," Jason chuckled, "Shelley Monroe, I don't know if you remember her.

"Of course I do. She tried to kill me…_twice._"

"That was the old Shelley, now; my high-school-crush-turned-wife is absolutely amazing."

"I never thought I'd see the day when you got married."

"You didn't, remember? You were in a foster home on the other side of the country."

"Touché, mon ami."

"And you still took French."

"And Spanish, and Greek, and Latin."

"Latin? That's a dead language."

"I still studied it. It actually comes in handy as a profiler, knowing what certain words mean. Look, Jason, as much as I love catching up with you, we're here for a reason."

"Well, come on into the living room, I've got some coffee freshly made. Would you like some?"

"Yes, please. Reid?" Alaina finally remembered that he was standing behind her.

"Sure." He looked dejected.

"Right, cream and sugar?"

"I used to come hang out with you all the time; you should remember how I like it."

"I do, two teaspoons of sugar, with just enough cream to lighten the color. Dr. Reid?"

"No cream and four teaspoons of sugar." They just looked at him. Then Alaina turned back to Jason.

"One of the other agents told me he likes his coffee _very_ sweet."

"That's fine. You guys make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back."

The two agents sat on the sofa, when Reid asked Alaina, "Do you think it's a good idea leaving him alone?"

"I know Jason. And he knows that even though he's a guy, I would know if he tried something, and that I could take him down easily."

"So he won't run?"

"No, but there's something different about him than I expected. He seems calmer than he used to be, probably because he now has a wife and a child."

Jason came back in with three cups balanced in his arms, "Here we are."

"Thank you. Jason, do you know why we're here?" She asked taking her cup.

He sat down before answering. "I have a theory, but I don't know for sure."

"What is your theory?"

"It's about the missing girls."

"Yes," Reid answered immediately, he obviously didn't know how to play poker with words, "Do you know anything about them?"

"Only from what they told me during our sessions."

"What do you know, Jason? Any information you have may be crucial to _our_ investigation."

"All of them were being beaten. Jackie was being sexually abused by her father, Lisa's ex had raped her, and Melissa was dealing with abusive parents and brothers."

"Well, that would explain about how they got the bruises," Reid looked at Alaina, "Mr. Pierce, could you tell us what you did for the girls?"

"Sure, uh, I was acting as a physiologist and physical therapist for them."

"Jason, do you have degrees in those areas?"

"Yup, and glad I do, too. Those girls needed all the help they could get."

Alaina had been taking notes, to put into Jason's profile, "And how's your practice going?"

"Which one? Work or religion?"

"Religion."

"Very well, thank you. What about yours, your aura just screams that you're in tune with your spirits."

"I fine, this is actually my first case with the BAU. Jason, do you know which girls have been found?"

"Melissa and Jackie?"

"No, Jackie and Lisa. Melissa is still missing."

"Oh my God."

"I need you to tell me everything about your relationship with Melissa, because it might help us find her."

"Of course. Um, Melissa wasn't just my patient…"

"I thought so. Jay," Alaina used his old nickname, "Tell me that at least it wasn't anything…perverted on your part."

"It wasn't! No, Melissa had asked me to teach her in the ways of the Lady."

"And what did you say?"

"I told her that I was not qualified to teach her, that Shelley would have to.

"Why couldn't you teach her, Mr. Pierce?" Reid asked.

"Because I was taught in the ways of the Lady's consort, the great Horned God."

Reid looked at Alaina to unravel the web of confusion.

"The Lady is the symbol of femininity, while the Lord is a symbol of masculinity. In Wiccan families, boys and girls are sometimes separated so they can learn about one. Jason's father, at my request, taught me about the Lord, as his wife taught me about the Lady."

"My sister also learned about the Lord. But unlike Alaina, she never learned about the Lady."

"Jason, don't try to explain it to Reid. He's all science and numbers…not a drop of religious theory in that brilliant mind."

"Right, well, her parents let her come over twice a week, once for therapy, once for her lessons."

"Did she say anything about meeting anyone new, someone who would have seemed too kind or too interested in her?"

"There was one incident a few weeks ago. Melissa said that there was a woman that went to all of her extracurricular activities, or during her lunch breaks, and watched only her the entire time."

Alaina whispered to Reid, "This might be the UnSub…premeditated."

"I agree."

"Did, she say what the woman looked like?"

"She did, and then she saw one of the pictures of Eva, and told me 'that's her, that's the woman that's been following me.' I suspected that Eva was simply watching her to see what kind of talent Melissa had. But then Jackie and Lisa told me that they had seen her, too."

"Who's Eva?" Reid inquired.

"Eva is Jason's sister. Are you absolutely sure that they saw Eva?"

"Positive. They said that she had cut her hair really short though, but she looked almost exactly like she did five years ago. Eva told me that she went into the business of fashion. She was probably looking for someone with that super-model body, and the ability to walk with the stance of a model."

"Super-model body?" Wow, Reid was useless in situations having to do with fashion.

"Thin to the extreme, probably anorexic or bulimic, tall, with no junk."

"Junk?" …..

"Butt or boobs, Homer."

"Homer was a blind Greek poet who wrote the _Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_."

"Edison!"

"He invented the light bulb and the phonogram. Neither of them-" he didn't finish because Alaina smacked him in the back of the head. "_OW!_"

"Sorry you have to see this, Jason. But Reid, shut_ up _about the stupid history lesson. We do not have tome for it right now, especially when we're interviewing someone."

"Sorry," he mumbled as he rubbed his head, even though she hadn't hit him that hard.

"Look, we gotta go. I'll call you if we find anything on Melissa."

"It's alright; I have to go to work anyway. Thank you and it was good to see you again, Ali."

"And you, Jason. Goodbye."

"Bye. May the Lord guide you journey wit safety and luck."

"And may the Lady keep you safe." With that, they left.


End file.
